BJP MLAs assault J&K MLA for holding beef party

Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was today thrashed by some BJP legislators in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for throwing a beef party here, triggering an uproar from the opposition which staged a walkout. The manhandling of the MLA, who had thrown a beef party at the MLA hostel in Srinagar yesterday, came on a day the Assembly is scheduled to take up a bill on the ban on the meat. As BJP MLAs assaulted him, several NC and Congress MLAs rushed to save him. The assault on the floor of the House triggered an angry reaction from the opposition with National Conference leader Omar Abdullah saying it was impossible to digest the incident. Condemning the assault, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed said sentiments should be kept under check. He asked Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh to apologise for the misconduct of his party MLAs. Nirmal Singh on his part said, he does not approve of what happened in the Assembly today, adding that what happened in the MLAs hostel yesterday was also wrong. The Deputy Chief Minister stopped short of apologising for the incident following which the entire opposition staged a walkout.